Richmond - The Editor, Re: "Steveston worthy of UNESCO designation," Column, Feb 5. As to the future of Steveston, I'm surprised by Mr. Slye's opinion of Steveston being like Mystic, Connecticut, preserving our maritime heritage and the recent coverage of a group working toward the possibility of Steveston becoming a world heritage site.Who are these people and where were they when we tried to save the BC Packers waterfront from demolition? We could have had a world class fish market and a fish auction, run by local fishermen, and a world class marine educational and research centre. Not to mention saving a large and key part of the heritage waterfront, that would most certainly have added to our chances of becoming a world heritage site.Those who fought for the waterfront at that time well remember the idea being floated then.Now on that property, we have a stagnant waterfront, with a boardwalk that could be found anywhere in the world; and to put the icing on that cake, BC Packers won a City of Richmond Heritage award for it. Where was the logic in that for heaven's sake? That same waterfront that is now partly occupied by an unknown retail zone, with the city and Onni still hotly campaigning over what type of businesses will go there.It was and is to be a "Maritime mixed use," but Onni is still trying to get that changed in favour of another grocery store (watch out for high prices) and high-priced rental apartment units.Thank heavens we have the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.The Britannia Heritage Shipyard could be a moneymaking shipyard, repairing B.C.'s wooden vessels and running courses in wooden ship building and repair, but some nearby neighbours began complaining and so any hope of a moneymaking working shipyard was scuttled.We have a working interurban streetcar that a society envisioned could be running throughout the community, linking all the heritage sites from Garry Point to London Farm. But part of the community rose up and said no to it running, for reasons of noise, pedestrian danger in operating it and ugly looking poles and lines to power the car.All of these things could and would have given us a far better chance for world heritage site status, but I have to again ask, where were these people to help us save these buildings and such, to have a better case for that status.Yes, let us preserve as much of this community's heritage as possible, because like the Imperial and Pacific Coast Canneries, once it's gone it's gone.Gordon KibbleRichmond
